The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse
Blended Scotch Whisky
$22

Today I will post notes on my favorite whisky under $25, one that I think is excellent neat or on ice, and is a great value.

First produced in 1897 by Matthew Gloag & Son, Ltd. in Perth, Scotland, it is named after the Red Grouse, Scotland's national game bird. It combines smooth North British grain whisky with a selection of malt whiskies, notable among which are The Macallan and Highland Park. The bottle advertises its "smoothest possible taste" along with the fact that it is Scotland's most popular whisky.

Nose: Buttery grain scents, like dough baking in the oven. Cinnamon and nutmeg with Cream of Wheat. Smells like drinking whisky in a pastry shop.

Palate: Smooth barley and cream flavor. A touch of pepper and light smoke on the finish, as the other flavors fade.

This really is one of my favorites. Easy to drink and, at $22, easy to replace on the shelf. A great example of why blended whiskies should not be ignored in favor of more expensive stuff.

Giro Ionos Helmet

Giro Ionos Race Helmet
$230

Giro started in 1985 with the development of a new helmet called the Prolight. Designed to offer more ventilation and lighter weight than any helmet had before, it propelled Giro to further success throughout the next decades and continuing today. Giro sponsors Pro Tour teams every year. It has also been Lance Armstrong's brand of choice since his battle with cancer in 1996, when it was one of the few companies that continued to support him after his diagnosis. Since returning to the pro peloton this year, Armstrong has ridden for Astana, who, along with the U.S. team Garmin-Chipotle and the Caisse d'Epargne team, are wearing the Giro Ionos.

This makes this review a bit like when I posted my thoughts on the Chris King NoThreadset. Again, we are talking about top-level pro quality equipment that is readily available to the consumer. In fact, all three team colors are available, if that kind of thing is your preference.

The helmet itself is incredibly well ventilated. Due to the use of carbon fiber in creating an in-molded sub-frame, the designers were able to remove a lot of material from the helmet and create huge vents and exhaust ports designed for maximum airflow. The helmet is also quite comfortable. My previous helmet was the Giro Atmos, top of the line at the time, but I find the Ionos to have a much more comfortable shape. It does not create any pressure points like the Atmos was prone to. It also features anti-microbial padding, and was one of the first helmets to offer this.

For most of the year, it really doesn't matter what helmet you have on your head. If the weather is cool and comfortable, or cold (so you have to bundle up your head under the helmet), they are all about the same, as long as they fit. All helmets sold in good quality bike shops meet the same safety standards. But when the summer months roll around, and stopping at a traffic light feels like visiting a sauna, the Ionos is a welcome piece of equipment. It also comes with a full replacement pad set and a velcro liner for winter riding. Expensive? Yes. Justifiable? I think so.

Dewar's 12 Year Old

Dewar's Special Reserve
Blended Scotch Whisky
12 Years Old
$30

Dewar's Special Reserve is a direct competitor to the excellent and well-reviewed Johnnie Walker Black. Both are relatively famous blends, made up of whiskies at least 12 years of age, and running about 30 dollars. I have had JW Black on several occasions and have been quite impressed with it. This will be my first experience with Dewar's equivalent blend.

The brand was originally created by John Dewar, Sr. in 1846. His son Tommy Dewar drove the brand to worldwide success using a combination of aggressive marketing and a quality product. In the 19th century, the first Dewar's master blender, A.J. Cameron, came up with the idea of what Dewar's calls the "marrying process." This refers to a period in which the blend of fully-aged grain and malt whiskies are blended then returned to casks to age together for a further period of time, usually several months.

Nose:
Buttery and creamy. Fruity aroma with a more intense alcohol smell if nosed deeply.

Palate:
Heather honey. Fruity again, perhaps like melon or cantaloupe. Some oak, reminiscent of a bourbon but with a bit less sweetness. Light honey and just the slightest touch of smoke on the finish.

A good, accessible scotch. Not particularly challenging but enjoyable and well-balanced, though it could use more peat, I think. I imagine this to be a good first whisky, Probably very tasty on ice.

GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket

GORE Bike Wear
Cross Jacket
$200

W.L. Gore & Associates began in 1958 doing research in plastics. By the 1970s, they had worldwide operations and had developed technologies used in the space program. With the development of GORE-TEX fabric, the company introduced a new standard for the outdoor industry - a fabric that was fully, 100% waterproof but allowed water vapor to evaporate from inside. The GORE Bike Wear brand began in 1985 in Europe. No one else at the time offered a line of waterproof, breathable, cycling-specific clothing. Now GORE Bike Wear is the leading cycling apparel brand in Europe, and in 2003 came to the US. They now offer the whole collection of clothing on this side of the Atlantic, and are renowned for their innovation, high standards, and attention to detail.

The GORE Bike Wear Cross Jacket is made from GORE-TEX Paclite material for absolute waterproofing and minimum bulk. The jacket packs down and is easily stored in a backpack or even a jersey pocket. This is one of my favorite pieces of cycling apparel. I always keep mine in my Camelbak for mountain bike use, and will carry it in my jersey for a road ride if the weather looks like rain. When I rode every day last month, I got rained on a lot and was extremely glad I had the jacket. It also is a great piece of gear to use as a windbreaker; having it in the Camelbak is great for winter mountain biking when it's really cold at first, but you warm up after 15 or 20 minutes.
My only criticism of the jacket is that the fit is quite loose, making it less than perfect for road use. However, GORE Bike Wear actually classifies it as mountain bike apparel. The loose fit does make it more versatile for layering or more relaxed activities like hiking. I ended up choosing it because of this versatility, but if you are going to be doing mostly wet-weather road cycling in it, I recommend a jacket like the Xenon Race Jacket, which is a Paclite shell with a tighter, more aerodynamic and cycling-specific fit.

Chris King NoThreadset

Chris King Components
1-1/8" Threadless Headset
$140

There are few purchases for any cyclist that can be justified as well as the classic Chris King sealed headset. For under $150 one can buy what is arguably the best headset available. This is extremely uncommon; just think how much it costs to buy "the best" shifters, or wheels, or even smaller items like cassettes, stems, or derailleurs. (The best front derailleur, for instance, is perhaps Campagnolo Super Record, or Shimano Dura-Ace 7900? Try $210 and $160, respectively.)

King headsets, on the other hand, are relatively inexpensive. They are almost universally found on high-end custom bikes. Until road bikes moved away from the 1-1/8 standard in favor of integrated bearings for lighter weight, these same headsets were found on pro level race-winning bikes as well. It is made with stainless steel sealed bearings of uncompromising quality while featuring precision machined aluminum cups for light weight. Every headset also comes with a ten year warranty, without limitation.

My experience is that these are great upgrades for almost any bike. Three of my bikes are equipped with them (all installed aftermarket) and all perform perfectly under any conditions. They are easy to service and adjust and, I expect, will outlive my frames. I am extremely glad that I spent the little bit of money on this top-notch, pro level component.

Laphroaig 10 year old

Laphroaig Single Islay Malt
10 years old
$50

I'm going to start this blog off by tasting, and trying to describe, the last dram of Laphroaig 10yo left in a bottle I've been trying to drag out/prolong the life of for about two years. I bought it for myself as a university graduation present in 2007. Time, I think, to finish it off and replace it. I'll put another Islay malt on the shelf sometime, and post tasting notes.

Nose:
Little initial alcohol 'burn.' Very peaty and medicinal, a bit like iodine or antiseptic. Seaweed, like sushi wrappers, and salt air. Some bourbon-like sweetness in the background.

Palate:
I've read descriptions of this as being an "oily" mouth feel, but it actually seems quite light. In feel, though, not flavor! Peat is very strong, combined with the hint of seawater. A bit of black pepper and cucumber flavors along with the earthy, salty smokiness.

Finish:
Still more peat, of course. Also a touch of sweetness. The flavor fades away slowly and continues to remind me that I'm drinking what is called Scotland's "most richly flavored malt whisky," according to the bottle.

This is an excellent whisky (out of the few that I have tried.) It isn't as balanced as some of the Highland malts, or even the other island whiskies like Highland Park or Talisker. It was originally, for me, an acquired taste. However, it is a smooth and unique malt with a powerful flavor, and nothing else I have tried is quite like it.